


The Garden

by gnashing_teeth



Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Empath!OC, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gardener!OC, Gardens & Gardening, God this is old, Honestly you could probably read this as a /reader, Kissing, Warren Worthington III Lives, Warren just wants to be loved, Why am I uploading this?, female oc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:08:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24051859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gnashing_teeth/pseuds/gnashing_teeth
Summary: Warren had begun following Raven to her garden after seeing her from afar. She was rude, brash, and never seemed to take anything at all seriously. Despite this she still made friends, easily and seeing her outside, in the space she took time to build, her other side surfaced. Calm, delicate and careful, a side she never really showed around others. He thought perhaps they had something in common.
Relationships: Warren Worthington III/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	The Garden

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, what's up? I'm working on other stuff, but in the meantime please take this ANCIENT fic I found of Warren and an old character of mine. It ended up being not as bad as I remember it (though some parts really make me squirm with how choppy it is ugh).
> 
> The only edits I did were for minor spelling mistakes and grammar (and even then I barely skimmed it so... yeah). I just felt it was a waste to keep locked away since I did spend some time on it when I wrote it about 4 years ago. And I asked some of my followers on tumblr and people seemed to want me to post this and another Warren one with this character so.... yeah.
> 
> originally published 6.16.2016

The sweet scent of the garden beneath her kept the half-mutant lulled in slumber. A rainbow of flowers decorated the grassy green, the petals and blades swayed gently in the breeze. Overhead, nestled in the twisting of the branches laid the nearly mutant student. Raven had always taken her afternoon nap in this spot, the hole left from the contortion of the wood was perfect enough for her to lay through and sleep comfortably. She was vulnerable, sensitive, but also brooding and lonely. Tending to flowers made her feel good, and Professor Xavier loved the color it brought to the yard, enthusiastic about anything that helped his students.

Above her Warren perched himself in the wood keeping up with his afternoon habit of observing her. His loyalties with Apocalypse had come at a devastating price, after waking up from the plane crash already half-healed he fled into hiding. Months after the whole ordeal, he took on a superhero persona, saving whoever he could, guilt and grief of his actions fueling him. Charles Xavier saw greatness in his remorse, the sorrow he knew came from a true want of redemption and allowed him to enroll at his school. The other students were not so friendly, the mutant avoided many of his classes overwhelmed by the stares and disgust his classmates showed him. He couldn't really blame them, he gave himself that look each time he saw himself in the mirror.

Warren had begun following Raven to her garden after seeing her from afar. She was rude, brash, and never seemed to take anything at all seriously. Despite this she still made friends, easily and seeing her outside, in the space she took time to build, her other side surfaced. Calm, delicate and careful, a side she never really showed around others. He thought perhaps they had something in common, Erik had taken a liking to Raven, he would mention her when they were assembled as the Horsemen. Warren only thought more of her once he came to the school, Charles explained that she wasn't fully a mutant when he asked of her. An empath, just a taste of the mutation, not able to fully assimilate to either side of the school. He wanted a friend, at least one. Someone who he could talk to, this mansion filled with people... it was all too familiar a setting for him. A big place all to his own but nobody to truly share it with. All the wrong choices in his life, he wanted to pick the right side once.

Still, he couldn't help the fact that he felt protective over her. She slept here, so trusting of her environment, it both unnerved and interested him. His eyes wandered to her sleeping form, one arm under her head the other crossed over her stomach. Twisting his head curiously as she shifted innocently in her sleep scratching her face, he began getting antsy seeing how easily she could slip through the hole underneath. As silently as he could he approached where she slept, landing a branch closer to her.

"I was wondering when you would get close." Raven's eyes opened watching him from above.

Astonished by her response he fell backwards on the branch, wood groaning beneath him. He struggled trying to pry the sharp blades of his feathers out of the grain of wood. The sap of the tree leaving a sticky residue on them, he made a face and flapped them a few times trying to get the sap off. Raven gave a small smile to herself, watching him, thinking he was beautiful.

"I-I wasn't trying to be creepy," he pursed his lips together finally composing himself, "I just want someone to...." his words trailed as he looked away feeling familiar isolation closing around his heart.

He stood up, opening his wings, humiliation began flooding his body. His teeth gritted together, "Nevermind, sorry for bothering you."

"Wait," she sat up from the hole, reaching her hand towards him, "let's talk on the grass." a warm smile graced her lips, drawing him in again.

Silent relief cooled the flames of his heart as he effortlessly glided down to her. His heart faltered slightly as he felt the soft, delicateness of her hands. Warren composed himself quickly, ignoring the small blush blooming on his cheeks he picked her up, holding her close to his chest. His skin felt good on hers, another small smile stretched on her lips as she rubbed the pad of her thumb back and forth on his own heated skin. Warren couldn't help but grin a little to himself feeling how careful she was feeling him. The metal of his wings chimed as he slowly lowered them to the ground.

Reluctantly, he let her go from his arms and watched her as she found a place in the grass she fancied and sat down. Raven looked up at his green eyes and pat down right in front of her, wanting him to sit with her. He bit back another smile, noticing how close he sat without her scooting away.

She gave another small twinkle of her lips, "So why have you been following me little bird?"

Warren looked down at his hands folded in his lap, cheeks reddening hearing his little pet name, vulnerability was always something he had feared. He had to lie quickly, he didn't want her thinking he was a big lonely loser. Even if it was the truth.

"I wanted to look at your garden."

"Oh, really?" she smirked, "then why have I caught those pleading puppy glances you've given me in the mansion?"

He cursed in his head, bringing his legs closer to his body, wrapping his arms around them and resting his chin on his knees, "I dunno, I've always wanted to talk to you about your garden. Nobody really gets it or appreciates it like I do." 

What a spectacular lie.

"I'll say." she scoffed sarcastically. 

"I mean," he trailed off searching for something to say, to find something to blame, "this school is so dumb. I don't even know why I bother being here! I was way more useful out there. Saving people, it's what I was good at. Now I'm cooped up in this house. I'm way too different from the people here. Charles didn't know what he was doing when he caged me in here. I'm useful, I'm good! I can do something for someone. I'm not just some big mistake." Warren surprised himself with how aggressive he was behaving. They were lies for the most part, but the emotion, the frustration, that was real. 

"Warren, I-" 

"I don't understand why I can't just be useful to someone. To mean something, all I've ever wanted is purpose. I'm disgusting, the whole school knows it. The way they look at me, the malice in their eyes.... I don't blame them. I'm an abomination. I know I am, I used to try and cut my wings in the bathroom and now I get cut by them in return." he gave a dead grin, "It's fitting isn't it?" 

Raven's hint of amusement in this entire situation disappeared after seeing the genuine agony in Warren's tearful eyes. Though Raven wasn't a superpowered mutant, her reach was still considerable. It was raw, uncut emotion. She drew it out of people with ease. These feelings were something he had kept hidden underneath for a very long time. The gift of empathy allowed her to carry the secrets of others. The burdens they held to themselves. Warren became nervous, seeing she was no longer smiling, her eyes didn't meet his as she was lost in thought. Anger began bubbling inside him again as his heart raced, in his head he ruined everything he touched. He really was the angel of death. Changing who he was seemed impossible.

She felt hatred burn inside her chest, just as she was sure it was burning inside his. Her power was reflecting the people she interacted with; she was a living mirror. Raven locked eyes with Warren, his loathing stalled and his heart throbbed in his chest as he saw her hand reaching towards his face. He was beautiful, the complexity of his feelings drew her deep, the softness of her palm on his cheek calmed him immediately. Her thumb gently brushed against his plump lower lip. 

"Your lips are beautiful, Angel. Why don't you try telling the truth with them?”

The sound of his nickname drew a tenderness he had thought he'd lost. He licked his lips before getting close to her, his wings stretched on both sides of them a small, metallic chiming played around them from his feathers parting ways with one another. It was nearly dark, the only light was faded and spotty from the tree shading them above. A soft sigh escaped him as he took Raven's chin and held it in place. Her eyes slid closed in anticipation, his lips were soft against her own. She placed her hand back on his cheek, brushing her thumb again back and forth. Chills ran down his skin, he exhaled on her lips and breathed her in. 

It was more than she bargained for, but the honesty of the notion was too compelling. Raven knew the lonely angel wanted company, but this wasn't what either of them were expecting. She traced the bottom of his plump lip with her tongue, feeling him pull up at the corners of his mouth and parting so she could taste him more. Their tongues grazed each other, twisting a little before returning back. Her fingers tangled themselves in his fluffy golden curls, their lips pressing again before opening, tongues sweeping past each other. They sighed, separating, Warren pressed his forehead to hers drawing his wings back to fold neatly behind his back.

Neither of them spoke, instead they sat in the happy silence of the situation they created. Their breathing faded in with the outside sounds of the mansion. Warren pulled her closer into his lap, his strong arms wrapped around her tenderly, his lips played with her short hair, the scent and feel of her against him graced his senses. She smiled feeling the jovial bubble of his emotions as her own.

A goofy smile spread across his lips as he whispered into her hair, "My little Raven."


End file.
